Platform trucks which usually include a generally rectangular, flat, material-supporting surface supported by casters and a handle for manipulating the truck are well known and have remained essentially unchanged for many years. In most such platform trucks, the handles are permanently positioned in an upright or generally vertical orientation. While such configuration allows the user to move the truck, it has been found that it causes several problems. First, if the user is pushing the truck, to avoid having his feet hit the back of the truck, the user must stand a distance behind it resulting in extra effort and potential back strain while reaching for the handle when pushing the truck. Second, if pulling the truck, the handle orientation of the prior art often causes the heels of the user to be clipped by the body of the truck. Finally, these prior art trucks cannot be readily stored in a compact environment when not in use primarily because of the upright handle.
While some efforts have been made to provide an adjustable handle for platform trucks, particularly in those made of metal, such have proved to be cumbersome and expensive to manufacture, and require several uniquely configured and awkwardly positioned components which could add to the potential for injury or irritation to the feet of the user.
In an attempt to solve the storage problem, some platform trucks have been provided with removable handles. Such, however, not only requires an extra mechanical step for the user to disassemble and later assemble the unit, but also requires the ultimate storage of two items. Other solutions to the storage problem involve the folding of the handle down onto the platform. However, this not only renders the unit thicker, taking up more storage space, but also it makes the unit difficult to carry to its storage location with only under-arm carrying being available. Moreover, in the folded position, the handle interferes with the potential to place items on the platform and utilize the truck as a handless dolly.
Another problem with conventional platform trucks relates to the manner in which the casters, which render the trucks mobile, are mounted to the support surface. Usually the rear casters, that is, those located adjacent to the handle, are fully rotatable or swivelable, and the front casters are either mounted to likewise be fully rotatable or to be unidirectional. Such systems do not allow the user the option of having either rotatable or unidirectional front casters, the latter being desirable for providing greater steering stability when encountering heavier loads and the former being preferable for lighter loads.
Thus, the need exists for a platform truck with a handle that can be readily located in a variety of positions to facilitate pushing, pulling, storing and carrying the platform truck, and optional caster mounting systems for selective universal maneuverability of the platform truck.